Twin Of Fire, Twin Of Ice
by TenshiNekoYoukai
Summary: Two twin demon are captive and dying! Hiei and Kurama hear their desperate psychic call for help. But what will kindle the fiery Yuri's heart? Or melt the icey Shora's? What kind of hijinks ensue when the twins are asked to be spirit detective assiatnts? And why does Shora never speak to anyone but Yuri?
1. Save Me! Please!

"Yuri, wake up. Tsuyi's gone. She just died." An emaciated girl wearing tattered rags opened her silver eyes, her gaze landing on her twin sister holding the skeletal form of the recently dead Tsuyi, a small five year old girl. A single tear slipped down Yuri's dirty cheek as she crawled to her sister, both of them craddling the child's still-warm body. Yuri looked down at the chain and cuff that encircled her own skeletal ankle, wrapping her arms around her sister's fragile shoulders, "Shora, nobody's coming, are they? We've been here over a year and Tsuyi was here for two..."

Shora coughed slightly, her whole body spasming, and hung her head, her elf-like pointed ears showing through her silvery-white hair, "I don't know Yuri... All we can do is hope." Yuri and Shora sat holding the dead child until her body became cold and stiff. Then they layed her down on the stone floor, covering her with a meager blanket they had all shared. Yuri blinked back her tears and screamed mentally, Please! Someone find us!"

Hiei sat up on his tree branch, suddenly awake with the female demon's plead ringing in his head still. He scowled darkly, pressing a hand to his forehead, then sliding off the cloth strip he used to contain his Jagan Eye. The eye opened and suddenly he knew that the girl in his dream was no figment. She was in real trouble. He scowled even more darkly as he heard Kurama approach from beneath his tree, "Hiei. You sensed it too?" "Hn." With that, the black haired demon vanished.


	2. Rescue and Trust

Yuri awoke to her leg screaming in protest. She had crawled too far from her wall and the chain around her ankle was stretched taut, the metal cuff biting into her ankle and dried blood crusted on the metal and her skin. She whimpered softly, crawling on her hands and knees closer to her wall and the pain ebbed a little. Shora sat propped up against the wall, her chin hanging down onto her chest, her eyes dull and unfocused. The grate twenty feet above them opened, and a hunk of moldy hard bread was dropped in, before the grate slammed closed again.

Yuri crawled on her hands and knees, snatching up the bread and tearing it in half, placing the larger half in her sister's lap, "Eat Sho-san". With expressionless eyes, Shora slowly began eating her bread, a few sobs breaking through every couple seconds. Yuri slowly ate her own piece, knowing it would be another week or two until they were fed again. Her silver eyes skimmed over to where Tsuyi's body lay, and she swallowed hard, tears cascading down her face as she set her piece of bread down. It wasn't right. She had spent months spliting the bread portion into three and giving the child the largest piece. But it still wasn't enough- Tsuyi was gone.

Yuri and Shora both raised their heads as they heard shouts and loud thumps coming from the above. Shora crawled away from the wall into Yuri's arms, tucking her head under her sister's chin, her straved body shaking against her sister's equally skeletal body. Yuri put her arms around her twin, ready to lay her life down to protect her sister, at any means neccesary. Sobbing softly, Shora huddled in Yuri's embrace, her already tiny body scrunched up into the fetal position.

The metal grate above them was flung open, and two figures jumped down, landing before the two frightened females. Yuri raised her head and hissed, the sound weak and pathetic at best. One figure stepped forwards, his crimson locks swaying as he crouched down a distance away from the girls, "We mean you no harm. My name is Kurama, and my comrade is Hiei. We are here to rescue you from this place."

Before either female could speak, a blur of black rushed by them, severing the chains around their ankles. The black blur stopped beside Kurama, his red eyes glimmering angrily. Subconsciously, Yuri recoiled a bit. Kurama came a bit closer, until he was right beside the females. A sharp gasp as he saw the condition they were in. Anger and remorse glimmered in his eyes as he reached out to the girls, his movements slow and soothing, "Please let us help you."

Shora finally raised her head, her tear-stained face turning to Kurama and back to Yuri, "We have no other choice..." Yuri gave a swift nod, unwrapping herself from around her sister, letting Kurama pick Shora up and cradle her insubstantial weight in his arms. Shora burrowed into Kurama's warmth, her tiny hands clutching his jacket-front as he settled her comfortably. Yuri whispered softly, "But I won't leave unless we take Tsuyi too... She doesn't deserve to be left here..." Hiei made a disgusted noise in the back of his throat, "You are in no position to be issuing ultimatums, girl."

She swung her gaze to the angry demon standing away from her, then crawled over to the child's body, scooping it up into her arms tenderly, "I won't leave unless Tsuyi comes too." She clutched the dead girl, her head down as she rocked back and forth. After muttering a dark curse, Hiei scooped the two girls up and leapt back up into the interior of the compound and out of the dank dungeon. Kurama joined them, still holding Shora as they ran into the portal that would take them to Reikai, and Koenma's office.


	3. Speechless and A Dark Secret

Koenma sat at his desk sorting through paperwork as George stood to his left, filing the papers that had been completed. His office doors flew open as Kurama and Hiei strode in, both clutching nearly-dead girls. Koenma's eyes got wide and he motioned to George, "Go get the nurses from the infirmary! NOW!" The ogre ran off and Koenma jumped onto his desk, "I know those two! Shora and Yuri Katsumi. They are the missing children of some very powerful and influential friends of my father's. Unfortunately, their parents passed away some time after the Dark Tournament..."

George and two ferry girls rushed into Koenma's office with a dual stretcher. Hiei and Kurama deposited the girls onto it, and the ferry girls rushed off with the two critical care patients. Hiei sat the body of Tsuyi on Koenma's desk, "The elder one wouldn't leave unless I took this child's corpse too." Regret filled Koenma's face as he surveyed the body, "Tsuyi Kurotsuki. She was escorted to paradise this morning. Five years old and only half demon. I will have her body respectfully cremated."

Shora blinked a few times, her eyes finally focusing. IVs and miscellaneous tubes and needles were hooked up to her body, and Kurama sat in a chair beside her bed, smiling encouragingly. Turning her head away, she struggled to push herself into an upright position. A pair of strong arms wrapped around her and helped her up, a pair of green eyes staring in concern into her own. She lowered her head and blushed. "Are you feeling well enough to try some broth, Miss Shora?" A small nod. A straw was slipped between her lips, and she began to ingest the warm filling broth...

Nearby, Yuri was staring at ceiling as she lay in her hospital bed. "Moping isn't going to bring her back." She turned her head to see Hiei lounging in the doorway, and bared her fangs, "You don't know me. You don't know what I'm thinking." Hiei sent her a smug smirk, "You are thinking 'It's all my fault that she died. I should have given her all my portion.' I am a telepath you idiot." The girl flushed, pushing herself into a sitting position, "Stay out of my head!" He gave her a dark scowl, "Hn. Koenma cremated your friend. She was also granted paradise. So quit feeling sorry for yourself!" With that, the demon was gone, leaving Yuri alone with her thoughts.

When the last sip of broth was gone, Shora closed her eyes, reclining against her pillows. Kurama gently took her pulse, then stood, "They'll be putting you sister and yourself in the same room tomorrow. Try and get some rest Miss Shora." Waiting until his footsteps receded, she opened her eyes and sat up, swinging her feet over the side of the bed and standing, determined to make it to the bathroom and bathe.

"Oh no! Don't try to stand Shora!" The girl her head to see a blue haired pink eyed young woman rushing over, hooking her arms under her own, "Let me assist you, please. My name is Botan, I am one of Koenma's ferry girls." Shora whimpered lightly, and Botan adjusted her grip, sitting the girl down on the toiletseat as she began drawing her bath, "Are you feeling okay after our little trip?" Silver scared eyes met concerned pink ones, and Shora whispered, "Hai." Botan turned back to the bath, adding in scented bubbles and adjusting the temperature, "I can help you with washing your hair if you'd like?" A blush crawled over Shora's face and she nodded in ascent. The ferry girl stripped the rags off the girl and set her in the tub gently.

Yuri sat staring at the ceiling, her fingers around the piece of metal edging she had pried off the bed's edge. She looked around, then sat up straighter, satisfied that nobody was around. Inhaling deeply, she pressed the metal to her wrist, dragging it across a few times until crimson started dripping onto her pillow. Biting her lip, she ripped off the edge of her rags and tied it around the now bleeding wound and sighed in contentment. The endorphine rush had her riding high and she closed her eyes, waiting for the numb and tiredness that accompanied the pain/pleasure of her dark secret.


	4. Good Twin, Bad Twin

Shora opened her eyes to early morning light, raising herself to a sitting position, smiling slightly as she realized that she was clean again and wearing a hospital gown instead of the rags she had worn for over a year. A knock sounded lightly at her door before a nurse came in, smiling and holding another warm cup of broth, "Good morning Miss Shora! After you finish your breakfast, your sister will be moved into your room with you."

Handed the warm mug, the girl slipped the straw between her still-chapped lips and began to slowly ingest the warm nutrition. The nurse smiled in encouragement, then headed back out the door, leaving it slightly ajar. Swallowing the last of the broth, Shora sat the mug on her bedside table, running her fingers through her now-clean hair and sighing softly. Another knock, and Kurama strode in, smiling gently, "Good morning Miss Shora. Are you feeling better now?" The girl dropped her gaze to her lap and shrugged one shoulder, her silky and straight silvery white hair obscuring her face. Kurama crouched down to her level and brushed the hair out of her face, "Miss Shora, I hope you see that I wish to just be your friend and that I will not hurt you." A small nod, and Kurama smiled his pretty gentle smile, his magenta locks swaying as he stood back up, "I will take my leave for now. Your sister is about to be here."

As Kurama strode down the hall, two nurses pushing Yuri in a wheelchair came towards him, "Wait! Uhmm I dont think I caught your name!" Kurama smiled pleasantly and came to stand before the girl in the wheelchair, "I am Kurama, Miss Yuri." The demon girl gave him a small smile, "Just call me Yuri. I wanted to thank you... For saving me and Shora and making the other one take Tsuyi too." Kurama gave her a small bow, his green eyes smiling, "Please, no thanks are needed. And I expect you are eager to see your sister. So please enjoy your day Mi- Yuri." As he continued away, the nurses wheeled Yuri into Shora's room.

"Shora!" The girl turned to see her twin smiling at her and being assisted up into the bed across from her own. Yuri still had her rags on and was dirty as before. Botan breezed into the room, holding two cloth bundles, "Oh good! They moved you in too! Now after you bathe I have some new pajamas for you!" Yuri blinked owlishly, her face confused, "Uhmm do I know you?" The blue haired ferry girl smiled winningly, "My name is Botan! I'm here to help you and your sister recover, and then place you on Ningenkai for your own safety."


	5. First Impretions

Yuri stood on her own, shooing the nurses out, and taking the bundle from Botan, "I'll bathe on my own. And Ningenkai?" Shora bit her lip nervously, her pale skin turning whiter. A quick frown, and Yuri disappeared into the restroom, locking the door behind her. Smiling a little, Botan sat in the chair by Shora's bed, "Oh wow! I'm guessing she's the older twin, right?" Shora giggled softly, her voice soft and tinkling,"Only by two minutes. But she acts like it's two years." Giggling with her, Botan took a piece of paper from her pocket, "Now. I have talked to Shizuru and Kazuma Kuwabara, some friends of mine and the other two boys, and they gladly agreed to you and your sister coming to live with them. The story we have come up with, is that you are their cousins from the country who have come to stay due to a family emergency." Shora cocked her head to one side, "Are they demons too?" Waving her hand spastically, Botan smiled, "No,no! They're ningens with high spiritual awareness! In fact, Kazuma was part of Team Urameshi four years ago at the Dark Tournament!" Furrowing her brow, Shora lightly scratched her head, "Is he the one that liked to yell alot?" Sweatdropping, Botan murmured, "Him and Yusuke both..."

Yuri emerged from the bathroom, her damp silver hair hanging around her waist. She peeked around and motioned to Botan, "I need some scissors please..." Frowning in confusion, Botan dug around in some drawers, then held out a pair of scissors with a triumphant, "Aha!" Yuri grabbed the scissors and dashed back into the bathroom, locking the door behind her. Expression amused, Shora tugged on Botan's kimono, "She's cutting her hair. She never could stand long hair." Botan's mouth made the 'O' shape, and she sat back down, tapping her fingers on the chair arm, "I expect the Kuwabaras to be here in the next few minutes..." The door to the bathroom opened again, and Yuri walked out, hair barely brushing her collarbone, but her bangs parted down the middle and to her chest. She gave the other two girls a wide smile, "This feels sooooo much better now!"

"Huh?! What feels better now?!" Turning, the three girls noticed the redheaded boy and brunette woman standing in the doorway. Botan leapt to her feet, charming smile on, "Yuri, Shora; This is Shizuru and Kazuma Kuwabara!" The readhead- Kazuma, spoke again, "I still don't know what feels better now, but I'm Kazuma Kuwabara! Worst punk Sariyashki Junior High ever had, and champion of the Da-" Leaning over, Shizuru smacked Kazuma upside the head, a toothpick between her lips, "He forgot to include loud and annoying. I'm Shizuru, dummy here is my little brother." A snort escaped Yuri, before she broke down in giggles, "Y- Yuri Kats- sumi! Oh my kamis! I love your style!" Shizuru's lips curled upwards, "The thicker their skulls, the harder you have to hit to knock some sense into them."

Kazuma stood rubbing his head, a half scowl, half pout on his face, "Daaaaamn, Shizuru! What did I do?!" A mere raising of Shizuru's eyebrow, and he fell silent again. Shora's whispery voice spoke up, "It is nice to meet you, Miss Shizuru. And you, Mister Kazuma." The group all looked towards the girl in the hospital bed, who fell silent and just stared down at her lap. It was Yuri who broke the silent moment, "Thats my twin Shora. She prefers to stay silent and observe the rest of the world as they make bakas of themselves." The small group laughed, and the Kuwabaras departed, promising to come back again the next day. Yuri decided to accompany Botan to the cafeteria to pick up some fozen ices, leaving Shora alone in the room.

"Miss Shora?" Her head lifted to see the green-eyed Kurama. His smile was gentle and unassuming as he sat in the chair across from her bed,"I hear you are to stay with the Kuwabaras. Are you also going to attend Watashiki High School? Lord Koenma has left that choice to you." Hesitance, then a small nod. "I would be honored to assist you in any subjects you find you may need tutoring with. Is this acceptable to you?" Another hesitant moment, and then a soft, "Hai..." He smiled softly, lingering a few moments before quietly leaving the room. Settling back onto her pillows, she didn't notice the figure in black darting into her room and behind her bed.

Hiei stood behind the girl's line of sight, opening himself up to her thoughts... *Why does everyone want me to talk? I'm perfectly happy with my thoughts staying in my head and not crossing my lips. Words are like droplets of water, once you spill them, you can never reclaim them. Can they not understand, that I simply do not want to talk?* Blinking, Hiei darted out of the room again, Shora none the wiser.


End file.
